CORVALLIS, Ore. — Western Oregon will soon be the home to a new facility dedicated to cancer prevention and treatment.

Samaritan Health Services is building a $12 million, 24,000 square-foot facility in Corvallis. On Monday afternoon, about 100 people gathered on site to break ground for the new project.

“This will allow our patients to have a centralized one-stop-shop when it comes to radiation oncology care instead of having to go to different locations for their care,” said Larry Mullins, President and CEO of Samaritan Health Services. “We’re excited to be able to provide this convenience to our patients and their families.”

The new center will be built next to the present radiation oncology building on the Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center campus.

At Monday’s event, cancer patient Patrick Hazleton spoke.

“Every pill that I have to take; every day I miss because I’m too tired to work reminds me I have cancer and makes me face my mortality,” he said.

A few months ago, Hazleton underwent chemotherapy.

“On Tuesday of that week I had an ultrasound exam and echocardiogram; Wednesday bone marrow biopsy; Thursday I started my 7-day in-patient stay for chemotherapy.”

Already a stressful time, Hazleton says his appointments were scattered in different locations.

“In that ten-day period we went to three different SHS sites by choice, and nine different buildings or offices.”

Hazleton says he is excited that there will soon be a new facility with essential services under one roof.

“We’re hopeful that the patients will find this as convenient of a service as we can make for them and for their family members,” Mullins said.

The new facility will provide medical oncology, expanded chemotherapy infusion services, radiation therapy, laboratory services, diagnostic services, a cancer resource center, and virtual technologies that can connect cancer patients with other specialists around the nation for other treatments.

Construction should start within the next 90 days, and the facility should be operating by the fall of 2015.